Remnant
by Moi Fah
Summary: A fragment is what remains when the whole part is broken. A Remnant is what remains even after that. Hotaru Tomoe never realized that taking care of three silver-haired boys would mean the end of her days. Hotaru\Sephiroth Remnants.
1. Fragment1

_**A/N: I had this idea after playing Re:Chain of Memories a some weeks ago. I finally decided to play it (since I couldn't beat the GBA game), and got to the part with Cloud (the Olympus Coliseum) and my mind wandered off. I also have had this image of Sephiroth in my head with his Masamune drawn, pointed at Kadaj, and berating him for being a remnant and the thought that he may have feelings. Oh, and Kadaj is holding Hotaru's body in his arms while this is happening. Not gonna spoil anymore, so please read on.**_

* * *

**Title: Remnant**

**Author: Moi Fah**

**Genre: Action/Romance/Family/Hurt/Comfort**

**Crossover: Sailor Moon and Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children**

**Version: Anime and Movie/Film (respectively) (slight AU)**

**Pairings/Characters: Hotaru Tomoe/?, Kadaj, Yazoo, Loz, Sephiroth, Jenova, Cloud Strife, Tifa Lockheart, Denzel and Marlene, the Turks (mainly Reno and Rude), and special Kingdom Hearts guest appearances.**

**Feedback: If you feel so moved...**

**Rating: T (for now, possible change lower or higher)**

* * *

**Fragment One: Deliver Me Into Kind Hands**

* * *

"You're nothing but a damn nuisance!" the silver-haired Remnant, the embodiment of cruelty and anger, shouted with a swish his sword through the air- Kadaj. Sheathing the parallel blades in anger, the Remnant knew that he was outmatched for now. The annoying female before him was simply too fast to be struck with a blade, but of course, this was easily amendable with the help of his Shadow Creepers. Surging with dark power, the silver-haired boy summoned the hellish-looking hounds from portals of shadow, and with a single point of his finger, 'sic-ed' them on his opponent.

The dark-haired female gritted her teeth in surprise to keep from gasping; these creatures were not to be toyed with. Dodging a bite from the first hound, she somersaulted to a further distance to recollect her thoughts. Killing them was useless due to their regenerating abilities, and the Remnant who stood smiling to her right was powerful in his own right, and she didn't feel like risking her life anymore today. She sighed mentally, everything had been fun and games until these things showed up. Reaching into the pack settled on her waist, she swung it around to her front and pulled from within what appeared to be a bomb.

Throwing it to the ground in front of her, an explosion of smoke went up around the entire clearing, a good mile-length distance. Kadaj covered his eyes to keep them from burning and watering up. If the female wished to run, then that was fine by him. Mercilessly dodging shuriken had become quite boring. When the smoke cleared, the Remnant dusted himself off, checking a particular nasty gash he had received on his arm from a stray slice of his opponent's metal. Kadaj looked around the area to see the Creepers still in the clearing, rushing to and fro in a frenzy of smoldering shadows to try and find the girl once more. "She's gone." the Remnant yelled out, despite knowing they could not understand him, "Dismissed." he stated simply, clutching his right hand into a fist and focusing his dark power.

The Creepers slowed all movement. Kadaj thought nothing of it at first, simply expecting them to head back to whatever world he normally summoned them from. However, the Creepers' tiny, shadow heads turned slowly to look at him over their bony shoulders. Their teeth bared, and a terrifying growl sounded from all six of them. Kadaj stared in disbelief for a moment, glaring as the hounds disobeyed his orders and advanced on him with the intent to kill. Once they had their prey in sight, rarely would they ever back down. It was strange, he thought, coming into contact with his motorcycle as he backed away slowly. Why were they not listening to him?

'Duck!' his body commanded suddenly, crouching down quickly to avoid the ferocious tackle that had meant to take his head clean off his shoulders. The Remnant knew he could not give them another chance to attack, and so, hopped onto his motorcycle, turned the key, and blasted from the area with an expulsion of smoke.

The Shadow Creepers were fast, no doubt, but he should at least be able to outrun them for a good ways if the machine decided so. Hopefully he wouldn't run out of gas or be stranded in the middle of nowhere. He caught a creeper out of the corner of his eye, coming up quickly from his right side. Drawing his Souba, the parallel blade shot from his hand and severed the Creeper who had dared to get too close. It wasn't over yet, of course, his brain told him. They were more hounds right behind him, each one filled with the intention to kill. He knew for a fact that killing them all would be an impossible task unless he found a place without shadow. Without shadow, they could no longer breed.

Sheathing his sword for now and placing both hands back on their appropriate grip holders, he swerved the cycle harshly to the right, just in time to avoid a giant tree. If that damned female hadn't chased him so far out from Edge, he might have been fine. Looking ahead though, he could clearly see that he was coming up on a patch of desert- Edge was full of them after all.

Ducking more on instinct than alertness, Kadaj managed to avoid the tackle of another Creeper, watching the hound miss its target and land directly in front of his tire. He smashed the beast with the cycle's impressive front tire and continued onward. Just a little more, and he would reach the patch of desert. It was sunny out today, and that meant less breeding pools from the shadows...of course, he'd have to worry about his own shadow once he got there. Perhaps then though, he could calm the Creepers and send them back to their rightful places.

Finally, he broke through to the desert with an upward flurry of sand flying into his face. The Remnant reeled back in irritation as it invaded his eyeballs and hurriedly tried to remove the particles before he crashed or was caught by a Creeper. Suddenly, he felt as if a thousand tiny needles were pelting against his skin. Cleaning his eyes out, Kadaj was meet with the sight of rain.

What the hell? It didn't rain in the desert. Something unusual must have happened back there, but then again, this hadn't been a very normal day. Kadaj reasoned that he was merely hallucinating despite the fact that he hadn't been in the desert nearly long enough for that to happen. And even so, these streets lined with houses and doors looked quite real to him. Realization hit him, and he turned to look back over his shoulders. Damn, those Creepers were still following him even here! This proved that losing them would been harder than he thought. And now...the Remnant's stomach curdled. Wherever he had ended up at was a terribly dark place, full of clouds and puddles without the sign of the sun breaking through any time soon.

The Creepers remained relentless. One managed to catch up to his exposed left flank, and attempted a slash at him. Kadaj had re-sheathed his weapon and could only try to move of the way. He failed. The narrow street he was on kept him pretty much centered, and when he pulled towards the right, the Remnant found himself hydroplaning out of control into a wooden pole and a nearby stone wall.

The Creeper's howled as the massive machine slammed into the wooden pole and broke like a fragile toy. Amazingly, the cycle did not catch fire as it pinned the silver-haired boy to the ground. The Creepers moved much in the manner of a wolf-pack as they advanced, the apparent leader being the first to sniff the motionless prey. Shaking his head quickly from side-to-side, it appeared as if he was trying to convey his answer. The boy is dead and we should move on, it seemed to say. The shadow hounds sank soundlessly back into the darkness, leaving the Remnant boy to be crushed by his own machine.

"Oh my goodness!" crooned an innocent voice. She was identical to the boy in body size and shape, minus the muscle he had, and was dressed in a simple, un-notable dress. She dropped her umbrella at the sight of him, and with her raven hair gliding out wetly behind her, she raced towards him and took a hold of his wrists. Considering she had no muscle, pulling the boy from the wreckage seemed the hardest thing she'd ever had to do; so much so that tears came to her giant, almost mutant-sized purple eyes. If it hadn't been for the rain's wetness, she never would have budged him.

The boy slid from the wreckage limply, and the girl settled him into her arms. Before she could move him anywhere, she would have to rest herself first. She was already weak recovering from the illness she harbored. When winded once more, she climbed to her feet and threw the boy over her shoulders.

The door, the one she had burst through not too long ago, was still open, and she carried the unconscious boy inside. To think such a noise had been caused by such a mighty crash! At least the boy appeared okay, or rather, alive. When spread out onto the girl's couch, she caught sight of numerous scratches and gashes on his exposed skin, rips and tears in his leather fabric exposing them.

Not knowing exactly what to do with his motorcycle, she simply let it be as she rushed outside to grab her umbrella from the middle of the sidewalk. The girl hurried back inside, closed the door, and locked it with a heavy breath. This was so stressful! Now what was she going to do? Take care of him, of course, her mind decided for her. Almost robotic, she headed for the kitchen were the first-aid kit sat on a high shelf.

His injuries weren't fatal, but it would ease her mind to know they were taken care of, so she hastened back to the living room where he lay. The silver-haired boy hadn't moved, and for some reason, she felt a sigh of relief pass over her lips. He didn't look too menacing in his sleep, but then again he was dressed in dark leather and had been riding a motorcycle. He sounded and looked like a delinquent if her guessing was right.

That aside, she would never put herself in a position of turning anyone in need away. Opening the case, she began her careful chore of patching him back together again.

* * *

_**Title was scrapped because I was getting tired of it and starting to hate it. This was not rewritten in anyway because I saw no need to mess with anything.**_


	2. Fragment2

**Fragment 2: Deliver Me Into Kind Hands-Part II**

* * *

The most severe of his injuries dotted his chest area, which was easily accessed through the zipper on the front of his leather jacket. It was a rather strange, intricate-looking outfit she remarked, and wondered what purpose it served exactly. Surely these weren't your average street-clothes, at least, not that she had ever seen anyone wear something like this in public. She eventually abandoned the thought when no occupation seemed right, and she didn't want to delve into the more sillier ideas like assassin or something like that.

Hotaru moved onto dressing the large, bloody wound that adorned the crown of his head. This was obviously what had knocked the boy unconscious, and it would likely keep him out for a few days, she decided. Him waking up in the next few hours would be nothing short of a miracle. She carefully and skillfully wrapped the bandages after cleaning and salving the wound, using her own lap as leverage to get better access to his head. When she finished, she carefully lowered his head back onto the couch and managed to scoot out from beneath him. Now, she would need for good old-fashioned rest to do its job.

What to do with the motorcycle was next on her list. She lived in what she considered a trustworthy neighborhood, but she'd hate to have to explain to the boy that his only possession had been stolen out from under her very eyes while he slept...it definitely wouldn't go over well. Not to mention, the police might tow it away as it was blocking a good portion of the street. Heading outside, through the front door, she saw the rain had let up only a little bit. The harsh downpour would more than likely last through the night and possibly on into the morning; she could only hope it wouldn't turn disastrous and signal the coming of a typhoon. Her house was a good deal away from the ocean, but she definitely could not wait out a natural disaster with an injured person on hand, despite all of her medical training.

She spent no time in going over to the bike and trying to prop it up. Obviously, it was as heavy as it appeared and she had quite the time pulling it into the upright position. It _was_ a bike of sorts after all, she figured, and wheeled it in the same manner one would do a regular bicycle towards the back yard of her house. The backyard was beginning to resemble a mini-lake due to the rainfall, so instead, she quickly pulled the bike back into the little shelter meant for a car. It had once housed a car when Haruka had given her one, but Hotaru found she had little use for it as everything she needed was within walking distance and happily returned the vehicle back to her "papa". It hadn't been that long since she'd started living on her own and obviously, her parents were just trying to help her out along the way.

Hotaru looked the bike over once more, looking for a prop or a kick stand, and when she found something similar, engaged it. She left it very close to the wall in case it did decide to tip over; the shelter was an open one and the wind could get quite fierce. Either way, she wouldn't have to worry about this for awhile.

Heading back inside, she quietly closed and bolted the locks that adorned the door; Haruka having added an extra two or three just for the purpose of safety measures. She abandoned her soaked shoes at the entryway, and walked to a nearby closet to retrieve a towel, effectively drying herself off before she tracked more water into the house than was already present. Now that she got a good look, the way the boy had been dragged in had made a near transparent trail from the door to the couch which was now currently getting soaked from his body. She would have been crazy to have thought herself done at this point.

She quickly grabbed another three more towels, using one to wipe up the watery trail on the floor; according to Haruka, water stains might warp the new wood flooring. The other towels she set aside for the boy...he'd definitely catch a cold on top of his injuries if he laid in those wet clothes any longer. Of course, this meant de-robing him to dry him off, a task which at first she assured herself she could do. The indifference nurses and doctors shared for their patients was something she had picked up quite well from her medical studies, but the boy was quite handsome...almost an inhuman quality to his features. His features were soft and his hair parted at an angle...the skinny build and pale skin...he did not look unlike a girl, himself.

However, getting him out of his strange outfit would be an adventure in of itself. She figured she should start with what appeared to be...leg belts. A fine strap of leather was wrapped around each knee cap, ultimately connecting them, but was obviously freeing enough to allow him the freedom of movement without stumbling. She loosened the clasp and pulled it from its loops, setting it aside for later on one of the towels. She had already loosened the leather-straps in the shape of an 'X' that adorned his chest when she doctored his injuries, and now finished the job by loosening the back straps and removing the giant shoulder pads from their perch. They were heavy, almost too heavy...they felt like some kind of armor almost. She moved them onto the towel as well. Hotaru returned to the zipper and finally pulled it all the way down and softly shrugged him out of his long jacket. Ah, now she understood. The straps of leather around his knees were meant to keep the long jacket ends from billowing in the wind or getting in the way. She folded his jacket, placed it on the towel, and headed for the final piece of clothing: his pants.

She took a breath, trying not to seem embarrassed. She knew it wasn't possible, but it was almost as if her mind believed he'd wake up the moment she touched the zipper resulting in a rather awkward moment she'd prefer not to go through. Hotaru put on her best stone face, just like she'd practiced during her classes and pulled him out of his pants. Her face still flushed as she tried not to look and quickly threw the third and final towel over his body. She carefully ran the rough-edged towel over his body, leaving his head for last which she daintily patted at. The wound couldn't risked being opened again when, after all, his hair could simply dry naturally. Leaving him covered with only the towel for a moment, she ran upstairs to grab an extra blanket.

Thanks to his skinny build, it was really no trouble to lift him from the wet couch and wrap him up in the blanket. And thanks to Haruka's training, lifting him up wasn't much of a problem either. He still couldn't walk, but slinging his arm over her shoulders, she cautiously ascended the steps, hoping the blanket would stay on for the duration of the trip.

Making it to the guest room seemed to take ages. She lowered him onto the bed, taking extra care to make sure his head was being supported in the right way as not to damage the wound or cause him pain. If he was in pain, then there would be no way of him telling her about it.

Finally taking a deep breath, Hotaru plopped down into a nearby chair. She'd never felt so worn out and exhausted, almost wishing she could go to sleep right then and there. However, there was still something she had to do. Her stomach had been making the most ugly growling sound and she sought to quench it as quick as possible. There should have been some kind of left-over stew in the fridge; a remnant from the family dinner the 4 members of her adopted family had shared last weekend. She slowly but surely made her way to the kitchen to warm up the stew. Absentmindedly, she found herself making two bowls. Biting her lip, she couldn't bring herself to pour it into her bowl or into the trash...he might just wake up and be really hungry. She set the stew on the counter, covering its top with a freshly pulled piece of plastic wrap.

Taking her dinner to her room, she ate quietly, perusing over some well-read books. She didn't risk turning on the t.v. as it might have disturbed him. Again, she felt silly for thinking this. She didn't bother returning the bowl to the kitchen, much preferring to turn in for the night. It had to be close to 2 or 3 am by now, and it had been a rather exhausting day. She giggled a little bit turning off the light...there was a man sleeping in her house just one room over, and to top it off, it was a complete stranger. Haruka would have had a fit, even with knowing there was no possible way the boy could have regained consciousness any time soon.

* * *

She wasn't sure what she was expecting when she descended the stairs the next morning, groggy-eyed with last night's dinner bowl in hand. Hotaru glanced at the counter as she passed by. The bowl hadn't been moved or even touched since last night when she'd set it there. It more than likely wouldn't be that good after having set out all night, not to mention it was a left-over meal, so she simply chucked the stew into the trash. When both bowls were washed and put away, she softly crept back up the stairs, much like a child trying to sneak up on Santa Claus while he was laying out their presents.

The door was cracked, same as she had left it, and she poked her head inside. The boy was asleep, dead to the world. He looked to have not even twitched during the night. Not a hair on his head was out place, really, though the low heaving of his chest told her he was still alive. Hotaru was almost disappointed to see him still sleeping. During the course of her dreams she had gathered so many questions she'd wanted to ask him. She really should make a list of all of them even though it seemed silly. Walking around, she pulled the room's chair over to his bedside and sat down in it. Leaning over him, she softly touched his head, brushing a lock of silver from his face; it was almost like a mother's touch on the head of her child. It was loving and caring, and had he been awake at the time, he might have found her odd for doing this. But she couldn't help being reminded of the child patients previously under her care. He seemed so...helpless. Something about him told her that he was lost, possibly alone in the world.

How could she know any of this, though? They had never met before and obviously never spoken to one another. His facial muscles were relaxed, keeping any worry lines or expressions from being seen. His eyes...she could only imagine what they would look like. Would they compliment his silver hair, or stand out completely like her own purple eyes? He was a mystery to her, infinitely wonderful in the unknown. Hotaru felt weird talking about a complete stranger like this, but at least she had something to blame these feelings on, she told herself. He reminded her of a child that needed protection and care. The clock on the wall, still ticking in rhythm, gave a soft chime to signal the hour which caused the petite girl to heave a small sigh.

Although young in age, she had no college classes as it was the summer. And having finished her medical training, she had no further classes to attend for that. Hotaru had recently being trying to find herself a job, but couldn't decide just quite where she had wanted to work. She wanted to stay close to Haruka, Michiru, and Setsuna, but she did also want to branch out on her own and have some freedom. And not only that, she had gotten offers to work as well. One from the giant hospital in Tokyo where her father had previously stayed had come not too long ago. She had placed it beside the letter from a clinic in the beautiful countryside, and the open nurse position in the local mental health ward. Her favorite had been the clinic in the countryside.

This particular clinic was in a small village, one practically stuck in time. The houses that adorned the streets were large, old in nature, but quite sturdy as if the supports had recently been fixed up. The roads were nothing more than dirt paths, telling her the locals either walked or biked to get wherever they needed to go. The forests rose up around the town almost like a barrier, and the un-forested side of town gave way to a view of a small range of mountains. Of course, the village wasn't without help, wasn't stranded in the middle of nowhere; it was situated only a few miles from a rather large city. When she had visited, she instantly fell in love with the town. The only problem? It was so far away from the old family house that made visiting seem too much of a chore. Of course, the others had told her to do what she wanted to do...do what made her happy. But still...they had been such a huge part of her life and made such an impact that leaving them seemed almost impossible. The thought of being separated from them for many months at a time, possibly even years, made a small pain well up in her chest. If her family and friends were her powers, then no one was stronger.

She turned back to the boy, breaking off her train of thought. Once again, he hadn't moved at all. If he laid here for two or three more days, she'd be forced to take him to the hospital. His injuries weren't that severe, in the sense that he wouldn't bleed to death from them or have brain damage or memory loss from the one on his head. But if he kept sleeping...she didn't really want to think about it. After all, if he was comatose, she'd have her hands full trying to feed him and care for him in other areas. Hotaru was prepared for the worst although she was convinced it wouldn't come to that. He was simply asleep, and would wake up tomorrow...maybe tonight, she smiled, if things went well.

Pushing herself from the chair, she began to head for the door, but something pulled her back. She turned in the middle of the doorway, turning a glance over her shoulder. She didn't know quite what she was expecting to find when she did, nothing was out of place or unusual. With a click of the light switch, she left the boy in total darkness and silence to continue his rest.

* * *

Yazoo and Loz were bored, and not only that, confused as well. Kadaj had quite adamantly told them that he'd be coming back soon, claiming that he had some business to take care of and told them to stay put. Their "stay put" place was a little out of the way town, very much in contrast to the far-away city of Midgar. It had the necessary commodities to be inhabitable, but nothing much else. After all, they had just been passing through on their way to find "Mother" and of course, Cloud.

"Arrgh, we can't wait any longer!" growled Loz, jumping up with a slam of his powerful fists against the small, wooden table in front of him, "I-...We need to find "Mother"!" he exclaimed, anger practically seeping off of him like a battle aura. Yazoo rolled his eyes in response, delicately resting his chin in his hand. He was seated some distance apart from Loz, closest to the window. "Calm down Loz...before you start crying again." the long-haired Remnant tacked on playfully, knowing it would get his brother even hotter under the collar. Loz growled at him, "I am _not_ crying! And I am not _going_ to cry!" he said, his tone of voice trying to convince himself of what he was saying, tears beginning to brim at the corners of his eyes.

"If Kadaj says we must wait, then we must wait. It's just that simple." Yazoo informed, calm as as ever...at least on the surface. It was very unlike Kadaj to run off and do something without informing them of it. Loz would be more the type to rush ahead on some fool's errand or task on his own. It didn't really add up to him.

"You could at least try calling him again!" Loz had little patience for whatever stunt his brother was trying to pull here; this was setting back their plans immensely. Just sitting here and doing nothing...they were practically wasting their lives away. Besides, he hated being cooped up in this little hotel room. He wanted to go outside and play, uh, train, yeah that's what he meant. His skills were going to be rusty if he couldn't put them to good use. He cast his eyes down to where his own phone was charging then turned his eyes back to Yazoo.

Yazoo opened the phone with a graceful click, smoothing his long silver hair over his ear before dialing the number. He slowly brought it to his ear, not expecting much of anything. In the beginning, Loz had called nearly 20 times or so, and Yazoo had his own impressive number of calls by now. Kadaj wasn't answering for whatever reason...the only logical thing to discern was that something must have happened to him. But...something happen to Kadaj? It was nearly impossible. Kadaj could definitely hold his own in a fight, and even if he became overwhelmed or encountered too many enemies to fight off with a sword, he could just summon the Shadow Creepers.

"Well?" Loz questioned impatiently, much like a child would do. Yazoo shook his head as the phone continued to ring. Neither of the brothers had any sort of voice mail hooked up to their phones, always apt to answer as they were the only ones who ever spoke on these phones and to their respective numbers.

"He's still not answering. Told you, Loz." Yazoo clicked the phone closed with another graceful maneuver, carefully tucking it back into a pocket situated on his long coat. "I think...something bad might have happened to him." The long-haired Remnant began, standing up from his seat by the window. Loz squinted his eyes and gave him a cock-eyed glare, "Like what?" he questioned, sounding like a suspicious child, feeling like his brothers might be pulling a mean trick on him or something.

"We should go look for him." Yazoo announced calmly, but Loz was quite different. He jumped up with his teeth gritted into an almost cocky smile. The brothers seemed to speak with their eyes before Yazoo heaved a heavy sigh, "Fine Loz, you can go play with the townspeople...but be quick about it. We have to find Kadaj, then "Mother" and "Big Brother"." Loz nodded eagerly, literally kicking the door down as he left, haphazardly re-attaching his gauntlet, Dual Hound, as he pounded down the stairs and outside. Yazoo couldn't help but wonder if it was because of his childish nature that Loz didn't understand he was hurting people, or perhaps, maybe he just enjoyed it. Not that Yazoo cared though...he only cared about "Mother".

* * *

Hotaru came back home late that evening, arms full with groceries. Luckily, the rain had not given a repeat performance and the evening was just as clear and fresh as any summer day could be. It was quite relaxing and refreshing to walk home cast in the orange shade of the sunset, her shadow growing unbelievably long in the disappearing light. She emptied the contents of the two giant, paper brown sacks and began to put the various items in their rightful place. She saved the contents that belonged on the highest shelf of her cabinet last. Hotaru truly hated this part of shopping because she always required a stepping stool to reach the top shelf of her cabinet. Luckily she lived alone or she might have found it quite embarrassing if other people knew this fact, and of course, the other Senshi didn't count.

With a trudge up the stairs, she quietly slipped out of her day clothes and into a small shift she used for a night gown. It was a simple white dress Setsuna had sewn for her many years ago; Hotaru never threw away anything made by her Setsuna-mama. Even though the dress was faded now from old age, and many of the adorning features had either come off in the wash or fallen off themselves, she continued to wear it to bed.

Almost as if she had forgotten, she giggled to herself before venturing into the hallway, eyes locked on the guest room door. Was he awake? Would he wake up tonight? Or...would he actually turn out to be comatose? It had now been a full 3 days since the boy had been in her care. She prayed that he would, or else bright and early, she would be forced to seek more medical help and send him to the hospital.

She crept over to the door and peeked through the crack. She hadn't wanted to frighten him if he was awake. However, the room was pitch black, not a single ray of light to be seen as the sun had now fully set and the darkness of night had settled in. Hotaru pursued her lips, a side-effect of trying to be quiet, and went inside. Luckily, the door didn't creak a bit and she continued onward until she found the light switch.

With a flick, the lights came on. It took a minute for her eyes to adjust, but...the bed was empty. Before another thought could be formed, something grabbed her from behind and thrust into some kind of strangle-hold position. Naturally, with instinct kicking in, she tried to fight back but whoever had gotten a hold of her was no amateur in combat. If she didn't comply, her neck would crack like a twig in this position. And her attacker made sure she knew that all too well.

"Tell me who you are and where the hell we are before I snap your neck in two. Tell me!" he demanded, with a jerk, forcing her neck into a position it wasn't meant to turn and she cried out in pain at the pressure. "I can't...I can't breathe..." she gasped out, her tiny hands reaching up to cover his bare arms. With an impressive show of strength, he released her and flung her tiny form onto the bed in front of them. With impressive speed of her own, Hotaru turned to look at her assailant. It wasn't like she had been expecting anyone different than the silver-haired boy, but for him to act so defiantly, so inhumanly strong, was truly a surprise to her.

"First, you will tell me who you are. Then, you will tell me where you have taken me, girl, and if I don't like either of those answers, I'll kill you with my bare hands." Hotaru stared back in him in disbelief, unable to believe anyone could be so hateful and angry towards someone that had saved their life. True, he probably didn't know or remember that she had helped him and so she told him.

"My-...my name is Hotaru Tomoe, and you're in my house. We're in the Azabu Juuban district right now...you crashed your motorcycle in front of my house and fell unconscious." Hotaru tried her best to supply him with the information he sought, all the while, unable to stop staring at the intensity of his eyes. Not to mention, his only form of clothing was the blanket she has previously wrapped him up which was now tied around his waist. His upper half was bare, an impressive sight she had to admit with a blush...she hadn't expected someone so skinny to be so muscular.

"Woman, you'd better not be lying to me. I may not have my sword right now, but...augh!" he screamed in pain, grasping at the injury on his head.

"Please, you have to sit down and calm down." she urged, trying to lead him over back to the bed. He surprisingly complied with her demand, but she reasoned it was only because he'd been so distracted by the pain. Laying his head down on the pillows, he cast those eyes back up at her.

"I've never heard of a place called Juuban. Is that...truly where I am?" she nodded, assuming he must be from out of town or possibly even the country. The boy acted like he was from a different planet entirely. Hotaru couldn't help but wonder if this was a side-effect of the injury.

"How...how many fingers am I holding up?" she gulped, trying to muster her courage as she held up three petite fingers in front of his face. He gave her an incredulous look, but when he realized she was serious, rolled his eyes and barked out, "Three."

"Okay," she gave a small smile, happy that he was compliant at the moment and not so gung-ho about murdering her, "do you know what planet we're on?" She had learned this tactic from one of her classes. Simple questions like these got the brain working at a slow pace so as to not cause any kind of shock, and it had the potential of slowly returning one's memories before the accident. It especially worked well with child patients, she noted mentally.

"Gaea?" he questioned with a small shake of his head, laying a bare arm over his eyes, the light being almost painful. Hell, everything on him was painful at the moment, the injuries feeling like the least of his worried. He hadn't moved in what felt like weeks and his body felt stiff, like it was trying to atrophy. Dammit, he couldn't be bed-ridden! Due to the arm cast over his eyes, he failed to see the expression of the girl's face turn to concern. Hotaru pursued her lips at the response...true, the Earth was known as Gaea, but would anyone actually call it that in this day and age? She decided to move on, requesting information on this "Gaea" he spoke of could wait for a later date.

"Where are you from?"

"Is there a reason you're asking me these stupid questions? I don't see what it is you're trying to accomplish."

"Okay, if you feel like you can...can you tell me what happened to you before you lost control of your bike? Did you just...lose control? Or...were you running from something?" Hotaru was careful to space out the questions as to not confuse him or disorient him. The boy seemed to take pause for a moment, Hotaru fearing he might have fallen back asleep on her.

Kadaj was far from sleep though, wondering if he should indeed tell her what happened. It wasn't any business of hers, not to mention he could kill her without batting an eye. She looked terribly weak...the thought of killing her actually made him smile of little. Maybe if he killed her he could end up back with his brothers and resume his search for "Mother".

"...I was being chased." he mumbled slowly, eyes still hidden beneath his arm although the grin on his face could clearly be seen. It unsettled Hotaru as she wondered what it was he could be thinking about, and a hand flew to her heart almost as if it were an attempt to keep it from flying out of her chest. Something...something was just not right about him. Those eyes...that smirk...he no longer held any allure of mystery and her earlier decisions concerning his child-like appearance were now completely gone. That smirk...it was terrifying. It scared her.

"What's your name?" she blurted out, unable to sit there in silence and fear at the same time. Fears were sometimes irrational, and if you could make sense of that fear, then you could overcome it. If she knew more about this boy, perhaps he wouldn't terrify her so. She felt horrible for judging him before knowing more about him, but the shiver that ran up and down her spine in a constant ring told her otherwise.

Finally, he removed the arm over his eyes and sat up in the process which surprised her and caused her to lean back. "My name...is Kadaj." he gave a muffled laughter that came out sounding something like, "Fuh fuh fuh...".

"Do you know where "Mother" is?" he asked rather calmly but with malicious intent.

"M-mother?" Hotaru squeaked out, his face unbelievably close to hers as they sat opposite each other on the side of the bed. Any closer and she might have felt his breath on her face. "I...I don't...why don't you tell me more about Gaea?"

"What kind of idiot doesn't know about Gaea?" The question seemed to snap him back to reality, almost, as he drew back from her and scoffed in disbelief. "Are there really people so idiotic that they don't even know the planet they live on?" Hotaru frowned with a blush, he was quite rude and insulting, not to mention...if there was anyone who knew anything about planets, it was a Senshi.

"This planet is called Earth, not Gaea. At least, not anymore. Why do you call it Gaea?"

He glared at her, "What is wrong with you, woman? Exactly how stupid are you?"

Hotaru huffed, a growl stuck in her throat, "I'm not stupid or an idiot! This is planet Earth! Not Gaea!" she breathed out long puffs of air, a stain of red adorning her cheeks. She hadn't meant to blow up like that, but...

"So...Gaea is no more? Or maybe..." his eyes widened as if in remembrance, his mind and body recalling the moments before and after the accident. "I get it now..." he mumbled, a hand coming up to rest over his face, "Those damn Shadow Creepers...I've been teleported to another world?"

"You're...from another world?" Hotaru questioned, interested. This certainly explained a few things. She couldn't make much else out from his mumbling, "Gaea...Gaea..." she repeated over and over again, wondering if the name would strike of a cord of remembrance within her. When it didn't, she wondered if Pluto might have an idea...or at least make sense of it if it were truly just blather. He didn't seem to be lying though and the severity of his injury wasn't strong enough to make him hallucinate.

"You, woman." Kadaj spoke up, "Tell me how to get back right now."

"I'm sorry but...I don't know how to do that. I'm not even sure how you got here. And my name is Hotaru." she repeated with emphasis but whether he noticed or not was indiscernible. "But...I might know a way to find something out. But it'll take a day or two and you need rest."

"No way in hell! I'm not staying in bed. And where the hell did you put my clothes?" the tone of his voice was so cruel and hateful...was this the only way he could act around someone?

"I put them up because they were soaked with rain. You can take a shower first before you get dressed if you're that adamant about getting up. I can't stop you if you choose to run around on your own...if you want to stay hurt, that's fine by me. The shower's right across the hall." she explained before heading out into the hallway. She'd had quite enough of his horrible company for the night. She was quite surprised however when he opened the door.

"How dare you walk out on me? Bring me my clothes so I don't have to walk through this house naked. And bring me my sword as well." Kadaj demanded, holding onto the door-frame with one hand for support, and the other around the blanket's knot around his waist. He didn't really have much shame, but fighting naked was not one of favorite things to do and he'd be damned if got caught off guard. "Listen to me woman, I don't have time to sit around this place. I have to get back and find "Mother"! I have to!" he exclaimed, Hotaru quite clearly noting the anger, passion, and drive in his tone. Whoever this "Mother" happened to be, Hotaru was certain she'd be quite happy to send him along back to her. Without waiting for her to respond, he slammed the door and went off to do who knows what.

She narrowed her eyes at the door, almost tempting to kick it before realizing how silly that would be. Hotaru would do as she was told, only because she was a nice person and didn't think it proper to have a naked boy walking around her house, day or nighttime. And had he said sword? Hotaru couldn't recall retrieving something like that.

Going downstairs, she retrieved his leathery attire from the closet she'd put them in and going back upstairs, set them just inside the guest room on the floor. She'd done enough favors for him she decided. Walking to his crash site was her next destination and once outside, began to look around for something that resembled a sword. Nothing even remotely resembled one appeared. If there had been one laying here, then someone was liable to have taken. Honestly, she didn't care so much anymore. She had saved his life which was her main priority. He definitely wasn't thankful for it and seemingly not happy about it, she noted, so why she should try to get on his good side or convince him of anything? Hotaru was almost sorry she'd taken his motorcycle out of the streets.

The sooner he left here, the better. Good riddance to bad rubbish.

* * *

_**A new name and a fresh chapter. I've had some time on my hands recently so I thought I'd give writing a try. It's amazing how when you creep people's profiles on here, you can see just how many of your favorite authors are making a come-back.**_

_**Thanks to all who reviewed and any who might review for this chapter. I honestly hadn't intended to update this one, possibly even discontinue the thing, but I started writing as a way to cheer myself up and this chapter just sort of happened. It was pretty easy to write, actually.**_


	3. Fragment3

_**A/N: I've decided to incorporate various things from different FF games, so please don't get confused if I mentioned something that wasn't in FF7...that's just where the main setting is.**_

* * *

**Fragment 3: Gate of the Hunter-Part I**

* * *

That night...Hotaru dreamt of the Farplane.

She'd never been to this place before, not once in her life. And she definitely had never heard anyone talk about this place before. Yet, somehow...everything was so familiar. She even knew this place was called the Farplane...but how?

She stood in the middle of what looked to be a large garden. Beautiful multicolored flowers sprung up all over and swayed in the non-existent breeze. They seemed to sparkle in the light, but where that light came from she didn't quite know...there was no sun glowing and there definitely weren't street lamps or anything of the sort around. It took her a moment to realize that shining spectacle was made possible by the many glowing spheres that floated here and there.

Hotaru marveled again at the beautiful site. These glowing spheres were so beautiful, but...what exactly were they? Some kind of glow bug, maybe? Like the fireflies that existed back on Earth? Something about these things seemed so mystical and wonderful, and yet sad and tragic at the same time.

It wasn't until then did she realize that there was no sound. It was dead silent. Nothing was here...but her. Then, almost as if someone had flicked on a switch, she heard the rushing of a waterfall, and with a quick spin, saw the magnificent view come to life. The two giant fountains nearby, who had already been running and spouting water, suddenly burst out with sound. She smiled...this place was so beautiful.

Then, she heard it. It sounded like...crying. No, screaming. Maybe a combination of both. It wouldn't have been a far stretch to describe it was wailing or moaning. It sounded so painful that she immediately began to look for the source...there might have been an injured person around here or even a small child. She knew this was dream, it had to be, but helping people was her life.

She walked only a few steps, the full brunt of realization nearly knocking her backwards. She gasped loudly, hands coming up to her mouth. These glowing spheres were souls...and they were crying in agony. It hurt her heart to hear them wail, but what could she do?

"What...what should I do?" she mumbled, nothing more than a whisper as her hands fell from her mouth and her eyes cast towards the ground. She jerked her head up almost instantly, "Please, tell me how I can help you. If you're in pain, then please, I want to help you!" she wasn't quite sure exactly who she was addressing and spun in a circle as she talked. She received no response...only the moaning of the dead souls remained.

"You can't help them..."

"Who's there?" Hotaru started, turning on her heel. It was the first response, or rather, the first thing she'd heard since she'd come here. "And what do you mean? Please, tell me who you are." her reply fell on deaf ears as if the voice has never existed in the first place. She was getting pretty miffed that no one cared to listen or talk to her, and because she just couldn't figure any of this out. With a clench of her fists, she bunched the ends of the white shift she wore until her knuckles turned the same color; the girl holding back the urge to scream her lungs out. Maybe if she did scream then someone would hear her.

* * *

Hotaru awoke slowly, the sun's rays stirring her as they came in through the window, no curtains there to block it's path. She arose quickly and did the same to her morning routine, throwing a rather plain but familiar outfit. As she went into the hallway, she stopped and turned her attention to the cracked door of the guest. Rubbing sleep from her eyes, she decided just a quick check in on him would do, but the boy was nowhere to be found inside the room. She even took a few extra steps inside. The room was in complete disarray. The bed and its covers lay askew every which way...almost as if he had had a nightmare or something that caused his sleep to be disturbed. Not that she cared really, she just noticed was all. The closet and dresser drawers had been ransacked, almost as if he had been looking for something. He'd mentioned a weapon, but it wasn't like she was keeping him prisoner here or anything. So what on Earth had he been after? Either way, he seemed to be gone now. He must have left sometime last night or early this morning.

Well, thought Hotaru, her one bit of "excitement" had come and gone without notice.

She headed downstairs to make breakfast, actually feeling rather hungry this morning. She honestly couldn't remember eating much last night if she did at all. What she saw as she descended the steps though made her stomach turn in bitterness. The silver-haired boy was still in her house.

He was situated over by window, something clutched within both of his palms. If his grunts of dissatisfaction were any indication, whatever he was holding was irritating him greatly. Hotaru had barely made it halfway down the stairs when he seemed to sense her and turned around in a great flurry, the leather of his jacket swirling as he did.

"You, come here! Tell me what you've done to block out the transmission on my phone! I'm growing very tired of this." he spoke so quickly that Hotaru almost had trouble following him...something told her that he had bad habit of doing that.

"A cellphone?" she questioned, settling her feet from the stairs to the floor, "I've never had one so I can't help you. Sorry." Hotaru shrugged, brushing past him to head for the kitchen.

"Why you..." she heard him growl angrily, stomping the whole way behind her.

"I have to talk to my brothers! What if...what if they've found Mother already? No, they couldn't...but if they...no..."

At this point, it was too hard to tell if the boy was talking to her, himself, or someone else entirely. Hotaru decided to let him be until he directly addressed her...by name, preferably. But...he did say he had brothers, and that did hit a little string within her. Although she had no siblings of blood relation, she understood how important that bond was.

"You said you had brothers?" she asked, moving away from a cabinet where she had absentmindedly been browsing through things.

"Yazoo and Loz." he said simply. Hotaru decided it must their names, although strange ones.

"And you're trying to call them? Haven't they tried to call you at all?" Hotaru asked, daring to draw closer to him as he continued to hurriedly tap away at his cellphone.

"I don't know," he growled, "if you would stop blocking the transmission for my phone, I could see."

"I'm not doing anything!" Hotaru shouted, a flush of red adorning her face. Why was he so...stubborn and thick-headed acting? If he wasn't the angry one, then it was her getting angry for no reason. Ugh, he just made her so angry. He was thoroughly unphased by her outburst. With a breath that sounded almost like a sigh, she spoke, "Your phone was probably broken during the crash. I've never had a cellphone before so I don't know how to fix it. I'll take you into town later to get it fixed since you probably don't trust me to just take the phone, okay?"

Kadaj eyed her suspiciously...well, at least she knew where they stood as far as things went. "Fine." he muttered, slapping the phone closed and stuffing it into his jacket pocket. He took a seat at the wooden dinner table nearby, despite Hotaru's informing that he could sit on the couch. She offered him breakfast, but he ignored her, scowl permanently locked onto his face. He just wasn't going to do a thing until that phone was fixed. She'd better just go ahead and get it over with lest his sizzling temper get the better of him.

* * *

"Will you please stop yelling?" Hotaru asked politely, a bit on edge now thanks to her pounding headache. The return of the rain certainly wasn't helping things at all. Hanging up her coat, she turned to the boy, careful to watch him and keep him from breaking things. The reason for his anger? The store they had walked to earlier had never seen a phone model like Kadaj's, dubbing it as archaic and yet somehow new. The man had used a lot of other fancy words she couldn't remember, nor cared to really, but all it had done was made Kadaj angry. The clerk must have explained a thousand times over that they didn't service his model, saying it looked like it might have been made someone's basement somewhere.

Her head was pounding too much to worry about this now. They'd wasted pretty much the whole day walking into town and back, with her stopping to get something to eat on the way there. Kadaj refused again her offer to eat, causing the petite girl to worry about him. Just a little, anyhow. If he didn't want to eat, it was his business really...but what if he got too weak to move? Even worse, what if he starved himself to death? No one was going to die in her house.

"Look, I'm not a great cook," she began, starting once she noticed a dip in his tantrum, "but if you tell me something you like, I can probably make it." he stopped, craning his neck over his shoulder to look at her, maybe in disbelief.

"Why on Earth..." he started slow, but quickly regained his composure, "Pass." he said affirmatively, quickly, heading up the stairs. Hotaru gave a slight glare at his vanishing figure up the stairs...it did irk her a bit that he'd become so accustomed to her house, like he'd just made himself at home while still treating her so lowly. Fine then...she'd be the bigger person here and set some food outt for him. That way, when he decided to sneak down to the kitchen (and she just knew that he would), he wouldn't have to rummage in the cabinets and give away his actions.

Hotaru heaved a sigh when she was done, why did he have to make things so difficult? Why was being nice a task all of sudden? Either way, her brain and body told her that sleep was a definite cure for her symptoms. As she neared her room, practically taking the steps two by two, she could hear the shower running. She wouldn't wait for him to get done much preferring to do her washing in the morning. Besides, he was already so accustomed to the place that finding a towel should be no problem to him by now, she remarked coldly...then immediately felt guilty. But what if he didn't? Ugh, what if he came barging into her room? Naked...? Hotaru blushed and turned her attention from the guest room and headed for her own.

He was on his own tonight.

* * *

Kadaj leaned his head against the cool material of the shower stall, continually being made warmer than the hotter-than-necessary water he'd decided to run. He felt awful...his head was pounding. Why couldn't he figure this out? Why couldn't he get back home? Where were the Shadow Creepers...refusing to appear despite his beck and call...and what about his brothers? He didn't so much care for their well-being as their location. What if they had found Mother? What if they didn't mention him to her, or even tell her of his existence? It was already bad enough having Sephiroth chosen over him and now...

Kadaj let out a mixture of a howl and a grunt, the sound slightly muffled by the glass walls of the stall. He pounded a pale fist against the side of the stall that wasn't glassed in. He pounded against it until he was sure his knuckles were bleeding. When he decided to look he saw a bloody pulp, dripping red drops that feel from between his fingers down to the bottom of the shower to mix with the water.

Why? _Why_? **Why**? _**Why?**_

It was all his mind could repeat, stuck on that question like a broken record. What he had done to deserve this punishment? What about Yazoo and Loz? Surely they were just as deserving, whatever this punishment may be. And what of the strange girl? Why her...why _here_? She was weak and kind-acting...a push-over really. She was boring, she posed no challenge. The weak had no quarter in this world, only the strong did. He couldn't even sense of sprig of energy within her. There was no way she could use a weapon properly. Then why the hell was he still here? Trapped with her...it didn't add up.

He could leave now, get on his bike and leave, but where? He didn't know this place. It was almost as if he had been flung into the future...or maybe the past. This was a different world entirely. How did one go about traversing worlds anyways? Was there some trick? Some method that had been developed in this time or world? Maybe there was a machine? The girl chose to play the fool and act as if she knew nothing...then again, perhaps she didn't. She was a very bad liar otherwise.

Kadaj winced as the pain in his bloody hand finally set in. He stumbled as he removed himself from the shower stall, a slight dizzy spell from the overexposure to the heat and steam. Unsteadily he made his way over to the sink where he let the cool water wash over his hand. Dammit...he remarked, just now remembering about the bandages wrapped around his head. They were soggy and limp now, sticking to his hair. Either way, they'd have to come off as they hadn't been changed in a while...he having refused her help on this as well. He couldn't leave his left hand like this...he was left-handed and couldn't bandage it properly with his right. Last thing he needed was to be injured and needy at the same time.

Finally wrapping a towel around his waist, and swallowing his pride, he walked to her door. It was shut tight, probably locked, as no light could be seen from underneath nor was there any sound. Kadaj turned the knob with his right-hand, holding his left hand like an injured puppy might and went on inside. He didn't need to announce himself...it was her job to take care of him after all. Wait, not like that, it was her job to keep him from dying. Yeah, that sounded better.

The room was dark, pitch black, as the curtains had been drawn to keep any light out. The darkness the storms from earlier had still not disappeared yet either, small droplets still panging against the window frame. It made a rather somber melody. Still, thanks to the light from the hall, he could perfectly make out a figure lying under the covers. Dammit, she was asleep. It would just be another fight if he woke her up.

He should just leave and try to bandage the damn thing on his own. But he could already feel his body closing the door, the uninjured hand wrapping around the knob so the door would close silently. He should just leave, he told himself once more and yet he crept ever closer.

What's so special about you, he mouthed silently to himself, straddling her body. It was a miracle he hadn't roused her by joining her on the bed, but his light frame assured him that he wouldn't be caught. Kadaj stared at her in the darkness, hands coming to either side of her face on the pillow, using them to keep himself propped up over her. Even at this distance, where she could more than likely feel his breath upon her face, he could just barely make out her features.

Kadaj felt no feelings for her, not the slightest hint of attraction. But being here with her right now made him feel...safe. He guessed that was the word. Any outsider might have compared this to a scared child running to their parent's bedroom after a loud crash of thunder or a bad nightmare. Suddenly his hand began to sting again, the angle at which he was resting upon it causing him great discomfort. He grit his teeth though and decided to bear it...he felt like staring at her a bit longer, not feeling "creepy" in the slightest...not that he'd have any idea of the concept either way.

Finally, he pulled back. Kadaj had almost been praying she'd wake up and show him the rare fire that sometimes sparked behind those odd-looking purple eyes. He never dared look at her eyes during the day or when she accosted him, he might end up staring too long and frightening her. It was an odd set of circumstances to be sure as he could explain none of it. Still he straddled her, although a very noticeable mark had been left behind on her pillow. Blood...the blood stain...would she freak out? Become terribly frightened at the sight? Maybe she'd just be angry and immediately go to wash it out? What would it be like to kill Hotaru, he pondered, turning his head to the side. Would she scream and cry in agony? Beg him to stop, saying please all the while? Maybe she would curse and spat that she hated him, possibly swearing revenge upon him. Would it bring him pleasure or leave him feeling empty like killing so many other people as he had? They meant nothing to him, but...what would it be like to kill someone you actually had a connection to? His only real connections were his brothers and Mother, and he could gain nothing from their destruction, he knew. His mind was running wild with ideas and possibilities, sick and twisted though they were. However, he had no sword with which to commit this deed.

The loss of his sword saddened him to a degree. Who knew how long it would take for him to find some semblance of a replacement? Did they even have shops or sword smiths in this town? He preferred to kill honorably with a sword, not with a kitchen knife like some petty thief...although he wouldn't deny that the thought hadn't crossed his mind.

Hotaru twitched and stirred beneath him. She writhed, possibly finding it hard to breath to some degree as he was still on top of her. Kadaj knew he didn't weigh much, preferring to be light as it gave him the advantage in battle. It caused her discomfort though, meaning she could awaken from this, and so he shifted his body backwards to avoid such actions...or at least, he would have if she hadn't brushed against him like. It felt oddly good. What would it be like to rape Hotaru? Would she scream and cry then too? What if he threatened her with death while he did so, slowly making cuts along her skin? But what if she enjoyed it? Would she enjoy it? No, she was probably still very pure despite her age.

He could take no pleasure from this despite what his body was telling him. No, he couldn't. Making his way carefully off of her body, he decided once and for all to leave the room and let her sleep. Kadaj would simply wrap his bloody hand in one of the sheets on his bed and wait for the morning to come. He could ignore his bodily needs for now, he decided, thinking how odd everything had been in retrospect.

Dare he say it felt like...no, he couldn't. He couldn't know what anything felt like regarding Mother as he hadn't really met her yet.

* * *

He awoke.

He stretched his fingers, reflexively maybe. His left hand felt strange, no longer the injured feeling it had had last night. He cracked an eye open, turning his eyes downward. A bandage lay wrapped around his hand, the bed sheet he had been using as a make-shift one was nowhere to be seen. In fact, all of the sheets on the bed were gone, leaving him exposed.

Dammit, she must have come in here last night...or this morning. It didn't matter really. He had slept through the entire thing and that alone was enough to anger him.

Kadaj would hurriedly dress himself and prepare to head downstairs, but stopped when he made it to the door. How would she react? Be angry? Had she noticed the stain on her own pillow? What would she say?

He headed for the stairs, not thinking to stop at her room at all, and found her in the kitchen. She appeared not to notice his entrance. The stairs did not creak or shift under his weight and so he remained motionless to watch her. She looked as if she were pouring something out, cleaning up after a meal most likely. It wasn't surprising that she might have taken breakfast before him as he had refused her so many times in the past. It didn't bother him really, he was used to going awhile without food, his thin frame not needing much of the stuff to begin with. Yazoo didn't eat much either, but Loz was another story.

"So you're awake," she began, turning to face him with a small smile, "I haven't eaten breakfast yet...are you hungry?" So, that stuff she was throwing away must have been from last night.

"If it will get you to quit pestering me then I suppose so." he sighed, with a roll of his eyes. She was so obvious...why didn't she just say something already?

"Is your hand alright?" she asked, suddenly right in front of him. How did she sneak up on him like that? "How did it...how did you do this?" she asked, concern littering her voice.

"Accident," Kadaj mumbled, "I hit it on something. Now are you going to make something to eat or what?" he questioned, almost a demand, slipping past her and heading for the table. He didn't look back at her as she scurried past the table and into the kitchen, simply resting his head on his propped up arm.

How much longer must he stay here?

"Kadaj...?" she must have been waiting for a response, but he wouldn't give her one, "...have you ever heard of a place called the Farplane?"

"No." he answered simply, still avoiding her gaze.

"I-I see...never mind then."

He couldn't leave this place soon enough.


End file.
